GUJRAT, Aug 2: Kharian Saddar police have failed to recover a car with fake number, which they had released after being handed over by an excise and taxation department squad on July 19.

The police had released the car, which reportedly belonged to union council Nazim Chaudhry Tauqeer Akram Kaira, for the reasons best known to them. Moharrar Zahoor had claimed that they had released the vehicle after getting an order from Excise and Taxation Officer Sohail Afzal, but the latter denied issuing any release slip.

An excise department squad, headed by inspector Amir Shahzad Gondal, had impounded a Pajero (GTG-786) and handed it over to the Kharian Saddar police on July 19. It was revealed that the department's motor registration branch had not issued the particular number to any vehicle.

Driver Iftikhar had informed the team as well as the police that the vehicle was owned by Mr Kaira who, however, claimed that it belonged to one of his close friends at Chak Akhlas.

Sources told this correspondent that the vehicle remained in the personal use of Mr Kaira, who later sold it to one of his friends (who now lives in the UK). They claimed that Mr Kaira and his friend had purchased a sick industrial unit at Chichawatni and they were business partners.

When contacted, ETO Sohail Arshad told Dawn that they had not issued the number (GTG-786) to any vehicle. He also denied issuing any release slip. He said he had asked Kharian Saddar police SHO Javed Aslam Malhi about 11 days ago to make arrangements for the recovery of the vehicle, but to no avail.

Sources quoted the SHO as asking Mr Kaira on telephone to return the vehicle, but the latter refused to give it back. Tauqeer Kaira is a cousin of PPP MPA Tanvir Ashraf Kaira, who is also a member of the Public Accounts Committee. The vehicle owner, the sources said, had parked it at some unknown place.

PASSPORT FORMS: Visitors to the regional passport office have expressed concern over unavailability of blank copies to them for the last two weeks. Passport seekers have demanded that the higher authorities supplied copies to the office.